Show ContentsShovel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Shovel family

The surname Shovel was first found in Hertfordshire, where the first record of the name was Aluricus Scoua who was listed in the Domesday Book. Leuuinus Scufe was listed c. 1067 in the reference "Old English Bynames" and Wulnod Scoue was listed as a Templar Knight in 1185. The name is probably derived from the Old English word "scufa," which means to "thrust, push."

The name is often metonymic for Shoveller and it's variants. In this latter case, the name is a trade name for someone who makes "shovels."

As the names are so similar phonetically, it is now difficult to clearly determine which origin is which. One branch of the family was found at Knowlton in Kent. "The mansion-house was the residence of Sir Cloudesley Shovel, to whom it came by marriage with the widow of Sir John Harborough, whose two sons were drowned with Sir Cloudesley when his vessel was wrecked off the Scilly Isles." 1

Born John Shovell in 1650, he assumed the first name of Cloudesley from his maternal grandmother Lucy Cloudisley and rose to become Admiral of the Fleet from a cabin boy.

Early History of the Shovel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shovel research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1301, 1609, 1650, 1703, 1707 and 1777 are included under the topic Early Shovel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shovel Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Shovel, Showl, Shovell, Shoveller, Shouler, Showler and many more.

Early Notables of the Shovel family

Notables of the family at this time include

  • Admiral of the Fleet Sir Cloudesley Shovell (c.1650-1707), an English naval officer and politician


United States Shovel migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Shovel Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Shovel, who sailed to Virginia in 1735

New Zealand Shovel migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Shovel Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr Shovel, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1842 aboard the ship Regia


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.


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